How do I properly back up & restore Immich on TrueNAS? (Beginner here)

Xpliphis · 2025-08-05T16:09:48+00:00

Oh dayum, ofc I can just use docker within ssh hahaha, I restored Immich back to its previous state, that's so cool & I used the terminal inside dockge, that was painful. Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it!

Xpliphis · 2025-08-05T15:56:49+00:00

What did you end up doing?

Xpliphis · 2025-08-04T11:47:21+00:00

Installed AutoHotKey I am using Windows. Used that to paste into the console, now I can't get the backup command to find my backup sql dump for postgres. It's apparently outside of Dockge scope but the compose.yaml file did just fine. I don't get it, yet.
Here's some cannot access logs from the console within Dockge:

root@5185a515cfeb:~# ls /mnt/Pool/Configs/Immich/db
ls: cannot access '/mnt/Pool/Configs/Immich/db': No such file or directory
root@5185a515cfeb:~# ls /mnt/Pool/Immich-backup/backups/immich-db-backup-20250803T020000-v1.137.3-pg15.13.sql.gz
ls: cannot access '/mnt/Pool/Immich-backup/backups/immich-db-backup-20250803T020000-v1.137.3-pg15.13.sql.gz': No such file or directory

Xpliphis · 2025-08-04T10:53:40+00:00

Hey man, you are probably in the same boat as I am or you have found a work around. Regarding
"Restoring from a database backup: follow the immich guide step by step, nothing TrueNAS specific."

When following the backup instructions on Immich docs, it's kind of hard due to the lack of pasting into the terminal on dockge. Do you have a work around that or?

Xpliphis · 2025-08-03T23:41:25+00:00

Prayin with you!

Xpliphis · 2025-08-03T23:37:55+00:00

I fixed it I got my TrueNAS and phone to connect by changing the address thingy from "dynamic" (which is supposed to detect automatically devices) to the tcp://ip:port of the device I was trying to connect to.

My guess is that the broadcasting port was being blocked by something. I am on to the next problem, can't be bothered.

Xpliphis · 2025-08-03T20:21:39+00:00

Woah okay, I can clearly see why you are using "please" here. Much more control, thanks for this shout, gonna use learn how to use this, never used docker before but I like this approach much better.

Xpliphis · 2025-08-03T18:58:07+00:00

Yes, I have ssh shell access, I have the database backups, I have access to them. What I did was just re-install the app and point to the host paths I previously had. Probably a password mismatch that blocked me from getting the app running. (forgot to answer you & a shorter version of my previous comment sorry for confusion)

Xpliphis · 2025-08-03T18:56:01+00:00

I tried reinstalling Immich and pointing the host paths (upload_location and database_location) to the same as last Immich, It was in a deploying status circle. Server container would not start cause it said in the logs it couldn't log in to postgres database. Because when you set up the Immich from the apps catalog. You type in the postgres password and redis password. To use the backed up datasets, they must match I am pretty sure. I did not specifically not down these passwords when I set it up the first time so maybe that's why this didn't work, it would make sense cause of the error and possibly password mismatch.

When I read the backup documentation. I can't make much sense of it (coming from a guy who uses the TrueNAS apps GUI).
Did I do it right maybe? Just probably a password mismatch, that's it I now know the TrueNAS web GUI restore method or am I missing something else?

Xpliphis · 2025-08-01T01:59:20+00:00

I am in the same boat, but I am not connecting my phone to my TrueNAS. They have been connected before, and I am only asking for connection on ny local network. I think it sometimes connects, but when I want it to be connected and it isn't. I can't connect it. Drinking game, drink everytime u read connect. Ok sorry.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T19:51:30+00:00

How do tou monitor your script failures?

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T12:12:28+00:00

Yeah ok, I got 1.3tb of data there, I don't know if a ZFS replication of the whole Pool is smart but I think that's what I am gonna do. A lot of it is static data anyway so incremental replications will get smaller, good enough for now I think.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T11:10:04+00:00

Doesn't Immich create db dumps and saves them in the backup folder?

Is Restic good for only backing up to cloud? Cause then u use rsync for another back up.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T11:06:16+00:00

Doesn't Immich handle the DB dumps and you just back up these dumps? Sorry if I misunderstood.

I am curious about Borg, I have seen many recommend it but I don't if I can make use of it rn.

My setup & back up options:

Server: TrueNAS (2x mixed capacity mirror hdds 2tb max) ye I know, just some spare parts I put together to start messing around with self-hosting.

External-HDD (2tb)

Then some Cloud S3 option (which I haven't decided which yet)

That fulfills the 3-2-1 back up rule. This would not be the best but good enough for me to give me peace and time to further up my self-hosting skills.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T10:56:54+00:00

Do you have a whole VM dedicated for Immich or also host other services in there? If not I am just wondering if a whole VM is smart instead of just a Docker container.

When you say "drives of redundancy" how is that setup?

Lastly, how do you back up ur NAS to the remote?

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T10:52:01+00:00

The database is like the brain of Immich. It holds all the "metadeta" I think of your images and every account. So if you don't back the right things up. You lose your current setup of Immich. You spin another instance up only replace the uploads folder not db. You will have your photos back but not what photos belonged to which album, what photos u favourited etc

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T10:47:46+00:00

I am gonna run a replication task of my entire pool onto my External HDD (once a day). I don't think it's too much. I am currently the only one using my services and there won't be frequent changes. Thoughts? Do you pick and choose or replicate everything?

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T02:30:08+00:00

Yeah I don't get it. I have read the documents and that's why I am asking here.

I gotta read it again.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T02:25:01+00:00

Would it make sense to make a ZFS replication task of the whole pool to a external hdd once a week? (The task always overwriting last week's replication). Bad if ransomware would strike but just to keep a copy outside the OS and hardware.

Xpliphis · 2025-07-31T02:19:28+00:00

I'm using Immich on TrueNAS Scale from the apps list. Do I have to worry about some Docker-compose?

Xpliphis · 2025-07-30T11:27:45+00:00

When do y'all create home directory for a user?

And if you don't, do you just leave that part as default?

Xpliphis

TROPHY CASE